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Billy-Bob Thornton: Not a great interview

post #1 of 46
4/9/09 at 1:11pm
Thread Starter 
http://filmdrunk.uproxx.com/2009/04/...-meltdown#more

Direct Link to YouTube vid: http://www.youtube.com/v/IJWS6qyy7bw


Quote:
INTERVIEWER (Jian Ghomeshi): And that was true for you Billy Bob? Sort of a combination of Stones and Monkees and buck Owens?

BILLY BOB: …I just liked baseball when I was a kid.

INT: …Heh. And you almost became a professional baseball player, right?

BILLY BOB: I dunno. …Maybe.

INT: You didn’t love music when you were a kid?

BILLY BOB: Uh… Uh… I subscribed to a magazine called Famous Monsters of Film Land. The publisher was guy named Forrest J. Ackerman, who passed away recently.

INT: Do you remember what you were listening to musically, when you were a kid?

BILLY BOB: They had a contest, where you could build your own model, and it could be like a King Kong, or it could be anything… they made these plastic models in those days, that you could buy and then put together. But this was like a thing you could create your own world of it. Make telephone poles and make the railroad tracks and everything. And uh.. I actually did enter it once. I didn’t win anything. But I gave it a shot. It was a big deal for us kids in those days.

INT: Uh… and uh, where was the music in all that?

BILLY BOB: Uh… music? No, it was a monster magazine.

INT: …Right. But given that you seem to be quite passionate about music, I was wondering about your-

BILLY BOB: Would you say that about Tom Petty?
Wow, the interviewer was nothing but respectful to him. I mean, he's a great actor ... but come'on, save the attitude for the shock jocks.
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post #2 of 46
4/9/09 at 1:12pm
You'll probably read this everywhere today, but this incident seems way out of character. He's been a great interview for me on more than one occasion.
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post #3 of 46
4/9/09 at 1:27pm
Thread Starter 
Yeah, I was hoping he was just in a bad mood. His band looked a little miffed in the video too ... maybe they weren't getting along?
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post #4 of 46
4/9/09 at 1:29pm
Maybe he ate a fistful of mushrooms earlier that morning.
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post #5 of 46
4/9/09 at 1:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Russ Fischer View Post
You'll probably read this everywhere today, but this incident seems way out of character. He's been a great interview for me on more than one occasion.
Yeah, but did you mention his music career as your interviewed him for movie?
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post #6 of 46
4/9/09 at 1:32pm
He wasn't there to talk about acting, had apparently instructed a producer to not bring up acting, and was offended that the DJ sort of kind of couched the intro with references to his movie work.

He essentially wanted everyone to pretend he was only a musician and that it was the most natural thing in the world that his band that no one's really aware of would be on a radio show for any other reason than it's Actor/Writer Billy Bob Thornton's band.

I felt more nervous for that DJ than I ever did for Shane Hurlbut.
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post #7 of 46
4/9/09 at 1:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil View Post
He essentially wanted everyone to pretend he was only a musician and that it was the most natural thing in the world that his band that no one's really aware of would be on a radio show for any other reason than it's Actor/Writer Billy Bob Thornton's band.
Precisely. And he's hypocritical if the said reaction is genuine.
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post #8 of 46
4/9/09 at 1:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Martin Savage View Post
Yeah, but did you mention his music career as your interviewed him for movie?
Yep.
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post #9 of 46
4/9/09 at 1:42pm
Has anyone listened to his music? I liked the song he did on the Zevon tribute album, but figured I should play it safe and not explore any further.
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post #10 of 46
4/9/09 at 1:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Russ Fischer View Post
Yep.
Well that's weird then. Anyway, I can't give a shit about The Boxmasters.
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post #11 of 46
4/9/09 at 1:46pm
What a fucking baby.

It's not like the guy is some prickish shock-jock who's just trying to keep bringing up his film career. The guy's obviously knowledgeable and did his research, and is trying to focus on the music.
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post #12 of 46
4/9/09 at 1:48pm
How could you possibly interview Thornton and not mention his film career? It would be like sitting down with Paul Newman and only talking about salad dressing.
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post #13 of 46
4/9/09 at 1:53pm
But here's the thing: if hypothetical interviewer only asked about Newman's salad dressing, I'm sure Newman would have been nothing but respectful.

This was just too weird.
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post #14 of 46
4/9/09 at 1:54pm
Exactly. And like I said, the DJ really tried to get them engaged in a sincere, in depth discussion of their music after a very passing mention of his film career.

I thought the DJ handled it very well, especially in explaining the "reality" of the situation.

I get Thornton wanting his band to be a separate thing, and that's fair. But it is what it is: a band fronted by a major film actor. You can't just put that elephant back in the closet.
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post #15 of 46
4/9/09 at 1:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Misfit View Post
Has anyone listened to his music? I liked the song he did on the Zevon tribute album, but figured I should play it safe and not explore any further.
I saw him open for Elvis Costello years ago with a different band. They were more of a rootsy blues thing, and they were fucking awful. It's a fucking travesty that he's able to get himself on bills with people like Costello and Willie Nelson.
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post #16 of 46
4/9/09 at 2:01pm
That's about what I figured. I read an interview some years back with Marilyin Manson. He said he and his friends were driving around with Thornton's first album playing and none of them could stop laughing.
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post #17 of 46
4/9/09 at 2:06pm
Pretty incredible, isn't it? I can understand being annoyed about it; it must be frustrating to launch a separate artistic career in the shadow of one where you're so well-known. But it's so back-handed to exploit the perks while trying to control the narrative.

Seems like a lose-lose situation. If he's gracious, I never see this interview and am probably unaware of the band. But I did see it, I do know about the band, but am totally turned off to listening to anything they've done.
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post #18 of 46
4/9/09 at 2:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by flyarz View Post
Pretty incredible, isn't it? I can understand being annoyed about it; it must be frustrating to launch a separate artistic career in the shadow of one where you're so well-known. But it's so back-handed to exploit the perks while trying to control the narrative.

Seems like a lose-lose situation. If he's gracious, I never see this interview and am probably unaware of the band. But I did see it, I do know about the band, but am totally turned off to listening to anything they've done.
It's probably a lot easier if you're actually good at that separate career. I can't imagine Zooey Deschanel being a cunt about someone asking her about her movie work when she's making She & Him rounds because she's got no reason to be defensive about it; she's a solid actress, and Volume One is a pretty neat little album. It's easy for an interviewer to take both seriously.

That's not true with Billy Bob.
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post #19 of 46
4/9/09 at 2:26pm
Only Mr. Woodcock questions after the outburst. Anyway, this was fucked up. Billy Bob seemed on drugs. DJ handled it well.
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post #20 of 46
4/9/09 at 2:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Russ Fischer View Post
You'll probably read this everywhere today, but this incident seems way out of character. He's been a great interview for me on more than one occasion.
Yeah, he was great at that "Astronaut Farmer" roundtable a couple years back.

He seemed whacked out on painkillers or something.
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post #21 of 46
4/9/09 at 2:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Russ Fischer View Post
How could you possibly interview Thornton and not mention his film career? It would be like sitting down with Paul Newman and only talking about salad dressing.
Man, that interview would be terrible. Paul Newman's dead.
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post #22 of 46
4/9/09 at 2:44pm
Shit, Billy Bob had me when he name dropped Famous Monsters and King Kong model kits. I'd have shot the breeze with him for a good half hour on those alone.

Oh, to be a geek now that spring is here...
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post #23 of 46
4/9/09 at 3:01pm
I would have just asked if he prefers his stock in or out. And why.
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post #24 of 46
4/9/09 at 3:34pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt Goldberg View Post
Man, that interview would be terrible. Paul Newman's dead.
Would it? Or would it be the best damn interview ever?
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post #25 of 46
4/9/09 at 3:38pm
Maybe Billy Bob should ask Joaquin Phoenix to joing his group.....
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post #26 of 46
4/9/09 at 4:02pm
I'd have mailed that DJ my pinky if he did the rest of the interview in the Sling Blade voice.

Or done this.
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post #27 of 46
4/9/09 at 4:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil View Post
I'd have mailed that DJ my pinky if he did the rest of the interview in the Sling Blade voice.
Ahahahahahaha. Ahaha. Ahahahahahahahaha.

That's gold. I'll kill to see/hear that. Obviously, the guy values his job. But if I knew I could get away with it, I'd have tried it.
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post #28 of 46
4/9/09 at 5:19pm
Comparing himself to Tom Petty was weird.
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post #29 of 46
4/9/09 at 5:20pm
I could've also dealt with the DJ just starting to hammer him with banal Angelina Jolie questions and see how long that lasts.
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post #30 of 46
4/9/09 at 7:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnny Depth View Post
But here's the thing: if hypothetical interviewer only asked about Newman's salad dressing, I'm sure Newman would have been nothing but respectful.
He would've been damn proud.
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post #31 of 46
4/9/09 at 9:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by joeypants View Post
Maybe he ate a fistful of mushrooms earlier that morning.
I defy anyone to sound that bored on a fistful of mushrooms.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Misfit View Post
That's about what I figured. I read an interview some years back with Marilyin Manson. He said he and his friends were driving around with Thornton's first album playing and none of them could stop laughing.
I think that was Trent Reznor, FWIW.
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post #32 of 46
4/10/09 at 10:17am
Dammit, I think you're right. I'm going to change my user name to Misfit's Hazy Memory.
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post #33 of 46
4/11/09 at 1:03pm
Billy Bob Thorton apparently has some choice words to say to you Canada: you just aren't gravy enough for him.

(I knew there had to be a thread somewhere on this)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090411/...y_bob_thornton
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post #34 of 46
4/11/09 at 9:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jakespeare View Post
Billy Bob Thorton apparently has some choice words to say to you Canada: you just aren't gravy enough for him.
Eat a dick, Billy Bob. We live and die by poutine.
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post #35 of 46
4/12/09 at 12:59am
Thread Starter 
Maybe he meant that white gravy stuff they seemingly only have in the U.S.
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post #36 of 46
4/12/09 at 2:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Freeze View Post
Maybe he meant that white gravy stuff they seemingly only have in the U.S.
It's also called "saw-mill" gravy. Doesn't exactly sound yummy, but it is, very very yummy.

Edited to add: Billy Bob's a prick.
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post #37 of 46
4/12/09 at 3:38am
Is he taking the piss at the end there with the explanation that he was sitting out the in-studio performance because they couldn't be fucked loading up the drums at 6am? Coz after throwing an Art Tanty about not being taking seriously enough as a musician, that's slap worthy.
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post #38 of 46
4/12/09 at 11:40am
Did you guys catch the message on the DJ's laptop screen (there even from the start of the video)?

"If this really goes sideways I have new Neil. New Metric standing by"

Sounds like Billy-Bob was being a jerk even before the interview started.
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post #39 of 46
4/12/09 at 12:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Russ Fischer View Post
How could you possibly interview Thornton and not mention his film career? It would be like sitting down with Paul Newman and only talking about salad dressing.
Int: Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. We're talking with the legendary Paul Newman. Now Paul, there's been a lot of debate about this. What would say has been the high point of your career, the Fat Free Sun Dried Tomato Balsamic, or the Low Fat Creamy Bacon Ranch?

PN: HEEEEEELP!!! HEEEEELP!!!! LET ME OUT OF THIS GODDAMN BOX!!! I"M BURIED IN A GODDAMN BOX!!!!
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post #40 of 46
4/12/09 at 3:13pm
This just in: Billy Bob Thornton's band cancels Canadian tour. Because of the flu, see.
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post #41 of 46
4/12/09 at 3:36pm
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post #42 of 46
4/12/09 at 4:32pm
I love you, ogre.
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post #43 of 46
5/31/09 at 3:32pm
The Gravy's little dumpling is in some hot water:

http://www.tmz.com/2009/05/31/billy-...ter--arrested/
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post #44 of 46
5/31/09 at 5:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Barkatthemoon View Post
The Gravy's little dumpling is in some hot water:

http://www.tmz.com/2009/05/31/billy-...ter--arrested/
Sling Babe!
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post #45 of 46
6/1/09 at 4:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Barkatthemoon View Post
The Gravy's little dumpling is in some hot water:

http://www.tmz.com/2009/05/31/billy-...ter--arrested/
huh... not that you made any implications, but it sounded like he was as sensitive as he could be to the baby's family.

i saw an interview with him moderated by elvis mitchell at a panel at SXSW last year, back-to-back with moby. i was walking into it expecting billy bob to be the prick and moby to be the insightful, engaging level-headed one. turned out to be the opposite result, though moby wasn't a prick so much as just boring. anyway, even though billy bob was in austin to perform with the Boxmasters, he was a very gracious and open interviewee, and the questions were roughly 99% about his film career. i knew he had kind of an erratic reputation as far as PR goes, but his interview was one of the highlights of my time in austin.
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post #46 of 46
6/1/09 at 12:07pm
You could learn to use capital letters to make your post more readable.

EDIT: Not trying to be a douche, but put some efforts in these. Most people won't bother reading it.
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